Natural hazards · Provo

Provo, UT natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Provo comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 16 claims here since 1980.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Provo?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Provo to be higher than in 74% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and avalanches.

Earthquakes60%Avalanches21%Inland flooding14%Everything else5%

By hazard

What Provo faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Earthquakes

60% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 92% of U.S. places

Avalanches

21% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 7 years in the area

Inland flooding

14% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 47% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDroughtVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesTsunamis

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Provo flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Provo, from FEMA’s records.

16paid claims since 1980

$146Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19802026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 10% off flood insurance. Provo is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 8) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Utah County.

Disasters that hit Provo

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Utah County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Provo itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into ProvoDeclared for Utah County only

Utah County has had 11 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often fires and floods.

Around Provo

Provo and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Provomostly earthquakesHigh

Springvillemostly earthquakesHigh

Oremmostly earthquakesModerate

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Provo covers 30 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Provo’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Provo. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Provo total about $79.3M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.